Tip that pregnant teacher was having sex, sexting with student led to arrest

The Roanoke teacher had a relationship with a 15-year-old student, police say.

A seventh-grade English teacher and cheerleading coach in Roanoke is accused of having sex with a student and sending nude photos of herself to the teen.

Katherine Harper

Police said Katherine Harper, 27, had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old Tidwell Middle School student last summer, according to the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram.

An affidavit obtained by the Star-Telegram said the two exchanged nude photos of each other and had sex multiple times.

Harper was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Denton County Jail on a charge of improper relationship between educator and student.

According to the affidavit, the investigation began after school officials received a tip September 2016 about a possible relationship between Harper and a student.

The investigation was dropped for unknown reasons, but the school district said it received a tip December 2016 that a pregnant middle school teacher was having a relationship with a student, and a new investigation was opened.

The affidavit says the relationship between Harper and the student began when the two started sending flirty text messages back and forth. Phone records indicate that they communicated 76 times.

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The student told a Child Protective Services investigator that Harper came over to his Trophy Club home at one point and that the two drank alcohol and took off their clothes.

The student said he then performed a sex act on Harper, according to the affidavit. After that, authorities say, Harper and the student had sex several times at both of their homes in June and July of 2016.

After she was arrested, Harper posted $15,000 bail and was released the same day.

Police told the Star-Telegram that she was placed on administrative leave at that time and remains on leave.